


Infidelity

by AmberBrown



Series: Earning Their Keep [8]
Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-18 02:17:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13090320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmberBrown/pseuds/AmberBrown
Summary: 'The five men surrounded d’Artagnan who immediately went on the offencive, but there were too many men. The Musketeer did not stand a chance. He was grabbed, by two of the men. As he went to shout in protest another of the men pushed a rag into his mouth, gagging him, a second rag secured around his head to keep the gag in place.Constance wanted to rush up and help her lover, but knew there was nothing she could do on her own. One of the men broke away from the group and walked a few paces towards her. She backed away a little.'





	1. Infidelity

**Author's Note:**

> If you have not read the previous stories in the series all you need to know if that Aramis and d’Artagnan are in an established relationship and the others (including Constance) know about it.

Constance knew they were not being watched, d’Artagnan had arrived late the night before and was leaving early. They were very discreet. After her husband had cruelly made her break things off with her lover they knew that they could not be caught together again. 

At the door he paused and turned to her, slipping his arm around her waist, pulling her towards him. She looked up at him smiling, with a flourish he leaned her backwards holding her safely in his arms and kissed her full on the lips. She kissed him back, giggling at his show of affection. 

‘Get off me,’ she admonished as he finally pulled her back up to stand.

‘I’ll see you tonight?’ he asked hopefully.

‘Yes,’ she replied, ‘he’s away for a few more days yet.’

D’Artagnan grinned, he released her and after peeking around the door, just in case someone were to be passing the house, he stepped out and quietly closed the door behind him.

Constance sighed contentedly. She wished they could be together properly, but it seemed that was not meant to be. Her husband had threatened to cause harm to d’Artagnan if she did not break things off with him. The few weeks they were consequently apart had been horrible. Now they were, discreetly, seeing each other again. It helped that she was friendly with several of the Musketeers at the garrison. She could visit d’Artagnan there without recrimination but they did not have any privacy there. The only way she could really be with him was at her home. And the only times that could happen was when Bonacieux was away.

As she walked back towards her bedroom to finish dressing she saw d’Artagnan’s main gauche lying on the floor. The weapon had been a gift from Aramis and Constance knew it meant a great deal to d’Artagnan. She scooped up the dagger and hastened back towards the door. 

She glanced around and saw her lover had not walked very far. If she was quick she could catch up with him. No one was around, the dawn barely breaking. She hitched up her skirts and trotted after him.

Constance could not call out to d’Artagnan for fear of someone hearing. As she neared him she noticed several men. She stopped running, alarmed by what she saw.

The five men surrounded d’Artagnan who immediately went on the offencive, but there were too many men. The Musketeer did not stand a chance. He was grabbed, by two of the men. As he went to shout in protest another of the men pushed a rag into his mouth, gagging him, a second rag secured around his head to keep the gag in place. 

Constance wanted to rush up and help her lover, but knew there was nothing she could do on her own. One of the men broke away from the group and walked a few paces towards her. She backed away a little. 

She did not think d’Artagnan was aware that she was there. His wrists were being tied behind his back. Despite his struggles and muffled cries he could not escape the men that held him. The men began to force him to walk along the road, they turned off into an alleyway. 

The man who had approached Constance continued to watch her. She did not know what to do. She could not follow where the men had taken her lover, and she did not like the idea of being alone on the street with the man watching her. 

She turned and ran. She tried not to cry, but found tears streaming down her face as she rushed through the streets. She knew the man was following her, but he did not seem to be making a concerted effort to catch her.

MMMM

As he had walked away from the Bonacieux house d’Artagnan had become aware of the men around him. Initially he did not think much of it, but as they closed in he reached for his sword, only to find a firm hand on his wrist stopping him from pulling it.

When he tried to shout and was gagged he knew he was in trouble. He had no idea why he was being assaulted. The men bound his wrists and began to force him along the road. He struggled against the men but could not wriggle free from their firm grip on his arms. When he continued to shout through his gag he received a clout around the ear for his troubles. He remained silent after that but continued to make it difficult for the men to move him, digging his heels in and constantly trying to shake them off. 

As he was forced along his mind raced. Why had he been grabbed by these men? He could not think of anyone who had a specific issue with him. He was in uniform, had he been grabbed because he was soldier, a Musketeer? 

One thought kept recurring in his mind. Was this something to do with his relationship with Aramis? Was he going to find his lover had been taken as well? Had the authorities somehow found out about them? He knew in the eyes of the law, and most citizens that their relationship was a sin. But they were very discreet. How could they have been found out?

His heart pounded as the men continued to push him along, their grip on his arms bruising. They reached a non descript house and pushed him in through the door and down some steps to a cellar where he was forced to his knees by the two men who had not let go of his arms.

One of the men, a rough looking balding man stood in front of him.

‘You are here because you are having an affair with a married woman. And the man who hired us has instructed us to tell you, it has to stop. Our employer has graciously allowed us to teach you a lesson. Once the lesson is over you will stay here until tomorrow morning when you will be released.’

Had Bonacieux ordered this? D’Artagnan did not think the man had it in him. And he and Constance were being so careful. They were sure they were not seen. They never displayed affection in public any more, not even when Constance visited the garrison. The only time they were close was when he could visit her at her home when her husband was away. 

The bald man reached forwards and yanked the gag from him. D’Artagnan coughed a few times before looking up at the man.

‘You have the wrong man, I’m not having an affair with anyone.’

‘We picked you up on the street near the woman’s home, we know it is you.’

D’Artagnan realised they could not be sure it was him. 

‘I’m not having an affair.’

The bald man ignored him.

‘Once we have dealt with you, we will visit your mistress and tell her that she is not to see you again, or the next time you will be killed.’

MMMM

 

_Uncle,  
I fear I have failed in this marriage. My beloved Constance is having an affair. I have seen her, more than once with our lodger. They were openly displaying affection in the street. She does not love me, I know that. But I had expected her to remain faithful to me. We live comfortably, she does not want for anything of the material kind.  
Our lodger, younger than me, is a Musketeer. He is the typical soldier. Tall, dark haired and handsome, he is everything I cannot hope to be.   
If I could be rid of this man I would.  
Uncle, what am I to do?  
Your ever humble nephew. ___

__MMMM_ _

__Aramis opened his eyes and wondered what had awoken him. Blerily he threw off the blankets and swung his legs off the side of the bed. The noise came a second time._ _

__A frantic banging on his door._ _

__Fully awake in seconds he walked from his bedroom and crossed to the door. After pulling his main gauche from its place on his weapons belt which was hanging behind the door he turned the handle and opened the door a few inches._ _

__When he saw Constance, in obvious distress, standing on the other side, he quickly opened the door and ushered her in. After a quick glance back down the stairs he firmly closed the door._ _

__‘Whatever is the matter? Has something happened to d’Artagnan?’_ _

__Aramis could not hide the worry as he spoke, Constance was almost distraught, she was breathing fast. The young woman had clearly been running, her cheeks were wet from tears. She took a few breaths, trying to calm herself enough to speak._ _

__‘Some men, took him. They grabbed him from the street…’_ _

__Aramis grabbed her arm when she swayed slightly. He guided her over to a chair and pushed her into it, kneeling in front of her. He took her hands in his in an effort to help her calm down. He needed her to be calm so that she could tell him everything that had happened._ _

__‘From the begining...tell me everything. Every detail.’_ _

__Constance took another steadying breath._ _

__‘He spent the night with me, he arrived well after dark, he’s so careful not to be seen...well you know that,’ she gave a brief smile before carrying on, ‘he left early. No one was around. He’d left his dagger, the one you gave him…’_ _

__Constance paused and looked about her for a moment, before looking back at Aramis._ _

__‘I...I had hold of it...I don’t know where it is…’_ _

__‘That doesn’t matter now,’ said Aramis trying to coax Constance to stay focused._ _

__Constance looked at him for a few seconds as if she had forgotten why she was there._ _

__‘Um...I followed him...to give the dagger back...he was only just ahead of me when five men surrounded him...they grabbed him...he tried to fight them off but could not. They took him. Aramis, I wanted to follow but one of the men, he walked towards me. I ran, I ran away,’ she paused looking down._ _

__Aramis hooked a finger under her chin and lifter her face back up._ _

__‘You did the right thing. Did the man follow you?’_ _

__‘I think so. He didn’t seem to want to catch me, just know where I went...he might be outside.’_ _

__‘That’s OK. If he wanted you he would have caught you on the street.’_ _

__Aramis rose from his spot in front of Constance and crossed back to the door, he opened it and again glanced down the stairs. Satisfied that no one was there he closed and locked the door._ _

__‘Describe the men for me.’_ _

__Constance thought for a few moments._ _

__‘They were just men...um...the youngest was probably in his early twenties, the oldest, a bald man, in his fifties. They were brutish looking. Not badly dressed or malnourished. Just thuggish.’_ _

__Aramis nodded._ _

__‘I’ll get dressed and we can go and look for him…’_ _

__As Aramis was about to go back to his bedroom, Constance spoke again._ _

__‘I think it’s my fault…’_ _

__‘Why?’ asked Aramis, pausing in the doorway looking back at her._ _

__‘I found a draft of a letter, my husband writes to his Uncle frequently. He said...he told him about our affair...my husband’s Uncle is very...protective, of the family. He wouldn’t want to see any sort of scandal,’ Constance paused, tears threatening to spill from her eyes again, ‘this is my fault. The letter was dated from before he made me stop seeing d’Artagnan, it must have been sent weeks ago. Perhaps his Uncle thinks we are still openly having an affair...we’re so careful. I’m sure my husband doesn’t suspect us anymore.’_ _

__Aramis thought for a moment, ‘the man that followed you, do you think he knows who you are? That you are Madame Bonacieux?’_ _

__‘I think so. I think d’Artagnan’s been taken to warn him off being with me…what?’_ _

__Aramis was gazing off into the distance thinking._ _

__‘The letter that your husband sent, what did it say?’_ _

__‘What does it matter?’_ _

__‘It might help us get him back.’_ _

__Constance scowled at him slightly before speaking again._ _

__‘He said that he knew I was having an affair. He said that d’Artagnan was a Musketeer and our lodger.’_ _

__Aramis nodded and went back to his bedroom, he quickly dressed before returning to Constance who had managed to compose herself a little._ _

__‘Was there a description of d’Artagnan? Has your husband’s Uncle ever met him?’_ _

__Constance looked confused, ‘he’s never met him...my husband described him as a tall, dark haired soldier.’_ _

__‘And the men who took him did not see you with him? They just saw you walking after him?’_ _

__‘No, I hadn’t caught up with him when they grabbed him.’_ _

__‘Would you describe me as a tall, dark haired soldier?’_ _

__Realisation dawned in Constance’s eyes. She understood what Aramis was saying. It had occurred to the marksman that the men who had taken his lover probably only took d’Artagnan because he was found walking near Constance’s house and matched the description they had. D’Artagnan, given the chance, would protest his innocence. Aramis knew how careful the two of them were not to be seen together._ _

__Hired thugs only cared about their money. There was a chance they had not been paid, or not paid in full. If he could make them think they had the wrong man they might release d’Artagnan before any further harm came to him._ _

__‘Won't it just put you in danger? Pretending to be him?’_ _

__Aramis shook his head, ‘The man following you will have to get reinforcements. I will go straight to the garrison. I can get help there and a group of hired thugs won't get in there.’_ _

__‘How are you going to convince the man that you are d’Artagnan?’_ _

__‘That's where you will come in…’_ _

__MMMM_ _

__

_____Nephew,  
I understand the position you are in. I do not want to see a sordid affair by your wife bringing shame upon the family.   
I will see to it that this young man does not bother you again. He will not be hurt, badly, he is a soldier after all and may be required to defend our great nation.  
Your loving Uncle. ___

____MMMM_ _ _ _

____The bald man drew back his arm again, the punch landed on his side, the air knocked out of him. D’Artagnan was breathing hard, the men holding him up were having to take most of his weight now. He had valiantly stood his ground as the first few blows landed, but a hard knock to the jaw had left him stunned. His knees had given way and the men had again tightened their grip._ _ _ _

____He was sure the older man was pulling his punches, but they still hurt and would leave him incapacitated. If the men holding him let go he knew he would simply crumple to the floor._ _ _ _

____As he straightened up, attempting to get his breathing under control he found his attacker regarding him._ _ _ _

____‘That will do I think,’ the man looked at the two men holding him, ‘see that he cannot escape. We’ll release him in the morning.’_ _ _ _

____The man walked away. D'Artagnan was roughly pushed into a chair, his bound arms slipped over the back rest. A rope wound around his waist secured him to the chair. Another rope was employed to bind his ankles. He was gagged again._ _ _ _

____The two men stood back to assess their work, they seemed pleased._ _ _ _

____‘He ain't going nowhere...shame we couldn't give him a proper kicking...always wanted to give a Musketeer a good seeing to,’ said one of the men._ _ _ _

____D’Artagnan was confused as to why the man had held back. But he was grateful, he could tell he would not like to be on the receiving end of an unrestricted beating. The men were certainly capable of much more brutality. As he watched the men leave the room, locking the door behind them, he wondered what they would do to Constance._ _ _ _

____The bald man has said that once they had finished with him she would be visited. He hoped they would not hurt her. He did not think her husband would approve of that. D’Artagnan knew that Bonacieux loved Constance even if the feeling was not reciprocated. D’Artagnan hoped that she would not overly worry about him. He would get word to her as soon as he was released, so that she would know he was, relatively, unharmed._ _ _ _

____He wondered if he would be missed at the garrison. If he was held until the next morning which seemed to be his captors plan the others would wonder where he was. But would they look for him? Aramis knew that Bonacieux was away and that he was spending as much time as he could with Constance. Would his friends think he had simply remained at her home? He had no duties, so it would not be unexpected._ _ _ _

____He had to accept the fact that he would not be missed, at least not by his friends. And if Constance was not visited soon even she may not miss him until he was released. D’Artagnan was not going anywhere._ _ _ _

____MMMM_ _ _ _


	2. Suberfuge

Constance was not sure about Aramis’ plan. It all depended on the man following her, believing that they had the wrong man and returning to tell the rest of the gang. There were so many things that could go wrong. The man might decide to attack Aramis straight away, the man might do nothing or, worst of all, the man might report back and the gang might decide to kill d’Artagnan.

It was long shot. But it was all that they could think of on short notice. Aramis could try to take the man captive and question him, but the likelihood was the man would not talk. And if the man disappeared the rest of the gang might kill d’Artagnan.

Aramis, she could tell, was worried as well. He was trying to hide it, but failing. Constance had watched the two men grow closer over the months they had been sleeping together. At first it had seemed odd to share her lover with a man. But when d’Artagnan had spent some time explaining the urges that he felt, the need he had to be with a man she had understood. And she knew that she would not have wanted her lover to be sleeping with someone she did not know. She had known Aramis longer than she had known d’Artagnan. She knew he was an attentive lover. After the initial feelings of strangeness had dissipated she found the arrangement to be quite to her liking. D’Artagnan was able to sate his urges safely and she, in turn, had gained a better lover. She and Aramis had spoken a few times about that, much to d’Artagnan’s embarrassment.

Now she and Aramis were going to work together to save their lover. She stepped out of the door and onto the street, she glanced along the road. The man was waiting. He just watched her. She closed the door and began to walk away. Aramis had slipped out the back of the building and was going to meet her, by chance, a little further along the road. 

Constance glanced over her shoulder, not bothering to hide her worry. The man knew that she was aware of him. When she saw Aramis up ahead the rushed forward, allowing him to catch her in his arms. 

‘We need to make this look convincing,’ said Aramis quietly, unable to hide his worry.

‘Then make it look convincing,’ replied Constance as she slid her hand around his neck and leaned up to kiss him.

Aramis dipped his head enough to meet her lips with his. She opened her mouth slightly to allow him to kiss her passionately, as lovers would. She was somewhat taken aback at how good he was. Despite the situation she found that she enjoyed being held in his firm embrace. She felt safe.

As they broke off the embrace she played her part of the scared woman, she turned and pointed at the man who had followed her. Aramis pulled her around behind him protectively and began to advance on the man who looked a little shocked at what he had seen. Constance knew that Aramis’ plan was working. The man thought that he was d’Artagnan. As Aramis continued to walk towards the man purposefully, he turned and made off, pushing his way through the people as he did so. 

They had considered following the man, but he was lost in the crowd too quickly.

MMMM

As they turned back to one another Constance spoke at the same time as Aramis.

‘I can see why he loves you.’

Aramis was shocked to find Constance saying that she knew d’Artagnan loved him. He could not hide the surprise. They were both in love with the same man, and at the present time, neither could be open about the situation. Although there was always the possibility that Constance would be able to marry d’Artagnan, Aramis could never openly show affection for his lover. She smiled at him.

‘I’ve known for ages that he loves you, and you love him.’

She reached up and brushed his cheek with her thumb, ‘It’s OK. I am happy to share him. He is happy, and that makes me happy,’ she paused, Aramis watched her smile fade as the seriousness of their lovers current predicament returned to the forefront of her mind. 

‘They will release him now,’ said Aramis, trying to sound more confident than he actually felt. 

He knew the plan was not particularly good, it relied on the men who had taken d’Artagnan not wanting to be responsible for hurting or killing the wrong Musketeer. It relied on the man who had watched him kiss Constance believing that they were a couple. 

‘I’ll walk you home, in case there are any more of the gang watching us. It would be odd for your lover to just abandon you after you have had a fright.’

‘I know, but this is putting you in danger,’ replied Constance glancing around, in case there were other members of the gang who had taken d’Artagnan watching.

Aramis took her arm and steered her back towards her house. 

‘I’ll be fine, I’ll go straight back to the garrison, and set up a search for him.’ 

Aramis knew that Constance was not convinced, but unlike d’Artagnan he was aware that he was in danger and would be on the look-out. The chances of the gang managing to catch up with him on the short walk from Bonacieux’s house back to the garrison were slim. 

He also wanted to be sure that Constance was safely back in her house. The chances were, when the gang released d’Artagnan he might want to risk a visit to Constance first. If she was not in her house he would worry. 

Aramis wondered what state d’Artagnan would be in. Had the gang, beaten him, were they just holding him somewhere? Not knowing was not pleasant. They were sure the men had taken d’Artagnan at the request of Bonacieux. Aramis did not think Bonacieux was the type of man who would want to harm another. A warning to stay away from Constance is what they were expecting to happen. But neither Constance or Aramis could work out why d’Artagnan had been taken now. Aramis knew that d’Artagnan and Constance were very careful when they saw each other since her husband had warned her off the first time. Did he know they were seeing each other again?

As they approached her home Constance turned to Aramis and leaned up to kiss him again. A chaste kiss on his cheek. He held her for a few seconds and whispered in her ear. 

‘He will be fine.’

She nodded, although he could tell that she was struggling not to shed tears, her eyes were wet.

‘Come inside for a few minutes, please,’ she said, ‘I’m not ready to be alone.’

Aramis nodded and allowed her to lead him into her home. 

MMMM

_Uncle,  
Please do not bother yourself. I have spoken with my beloved Constance. She has seen sense and has broken off all contact with the Musketeer, who is also no longer a lodger at my home. There is no need for you to assist in any way.   
B. ___

__MMMM_ _

__What were they going to do when they spoke to Constance? D’Artagnan was plagued with worry. Constance was a formidable woman who was not easily scared, but the men who had taken him were brutes. Even though he knew they had not beaten him as much as they were clearly capable of, they had still hurt him. He knew he would be feeling the effects of the beating for some time. If the men hurt her, in any way d’Artagnan was not sure he would be able to contain himself. He would want revenge and Bonacieux would be at the top of his list._ _

__He tried to shift in the chair, the position the men had left him in was not comfortable. There was not much light in the cellar, he had no idea how long he had been been on his own. But he was fairly sure he still had hours to wait until the morning and his release. At least he hoped they would release him._ _

__D’Artagnan decided to remain positive, when he was released he was still determined to get word to Constance as soon as possible. Visiting her was probably not the best idea. He would head for Aramis’ rooms, his, other, lover would be able to visit Constance and let her know he was fine. He did not want her worrying about him._ _

__Voices outside drew his attention. There was a small, grubby window high in the wall, it was too dirty to let in any light but it did mean he could hear the men who were standing outside._ _

__‘Monsieur Bonacieux?’_ _

__‘Yes, I trust he has not been hurt badly...I do not want to be depriving France of a soldier.’_ _

__The man who had answered did not sound like Constance’s husband. He sounded older. D’Artagnan did not recognise the voice._ _

__‘He has been beaten, enough to get the message. He will be out of commision for a few days, but he does not have any lasting injuries...my men were disappointed that they could not give him a proper seeing to.’_ _

__The other man grunted his disapproval of the gang leaders lust for violence._ _

__‘Once I have spoken to the young man I will give you your money,’ the man said._ _

__D’Artagnan could hear hurried footsteps approaching and heavy breathing. Another man, gruffer than the other two joined the conversation._ _

__‘We took the wrong one,’ the man said panting._ _

__‘What?’ said the gang leader._ _

__‘I followed the woman, she visited another house for a bit then met d’Artagnan on the street.’_ _

__D’Artagnan was confused, who had Constance met? The man continued._ _

__‘They kissed, it ‘ad to d’Artagnan.’_ _

__The man who had been called Bonacieux said, ‘What are you talking about? How could you have the wrong man. You said you took d’Artagnan outside my nephew’s house.’_ _

__The leader replied, ‘not outside his house, the Musketeer we took was walking away from the house. But the wife was following him.’_ _

__Constance knew he had been kidnapped. She must have gone for help. As the conversation continued d’Artagnan realised what must have happened. He could not help a small smile._ _

__Bonacieux sounded angry when he spoke again, ‘the man you took was the wrong man?’_ _

__‘We’ll go and get the right one…’_ _

__‘You will do no such thing,’ said Bonacieux, ‘you will release the man you have in your cellar...how could you take the wrong man? What kind of an imbecile are you?’_ _

__‘He was walking away from your nephew’s house, he’s a Musketeer. He’s tall and dark haired.’_ _

__‘Not all the Musketeers live at the garrison. Several of those with a second income choose to take rooms in the city. The man you took was probably just walking to the garrison to start work,’ said Bonacieux with barely disguised annoyance._ _

__‘The man the wife was with was a tall, dark haired Musketeer. He had a fancy hat, but he took it off when he kissed the wife. They were obviously lovers...their kiss was passionate.’_ _

__Aramis, thought d’Artagnan. Constance had gone to Aramis and his lovers had come up with a plan to dupe the gang into thinking they had taken the wrong man. And they had succeeded._ _

__‘Release that man now.’_ _


	3. Mistaken Identity

D’Artagnan listened as the men moved away from the window, a door opened and closed. A few seconds later the door to the cellar opened. The bald man entered with two other men. One of the gang members, he guessed the one who had followed Constance and a man who must have been the uncle to Monsieur Bonacieux.

The bald man reluctantly began to untie d’Artagnan who did his best to look confused. He did not want the men to know he had overheard their conversation.

Bonacieux pulled out his money bag and extracted several coins. He handed the money to d’Artagnan who slipped the coins into this pocket whilst he maintained his confused expression.

The bald man looked annoyed, d’Artagnan realised Bonacieux had given him the money that the gang were expecting to be paid.

‘I apologies for the treatment you have received Monsieur. There will be no point trying to bring these men to justice as they will be gone from here by the time you can muster reinforcements. I will be leaving Paris immediately. I suggest you take the money I have given you and forget this has happened.’

D’Artagnan was eager to get away from the men and ensure that Constance was alright. She and Aramis would be worried. He wanted them to know that their ploy had worked. 

He was pushed out of the room, he did not try to speak to the men, he did not want to give them any excuse to detain him further. 

‘Leave, now,’ said the bald man. 

D’Artagnan glared at the men before hastening away. He walked around the corner before stopping. He waited for a few seconds before peering back. Bonacieux’s uncle had walked away, d’Artagnan could see him disappearing in the opposite direction. The bald man and the man who had followed Constance remained for a few seconds before returning to the house. 

D’Artagnan crept back towards the house.

MMMM 

A knock at the door had both Constance and Aramis look up. 

‘Constance? Are you there, I need to talk to you.’

Constance looked across to Aramis and whispered, ‘my husbands Uncle.’

Aramis nodded, he rose from the seat at the table and grabbed the glass he had been drinking from before slipping into the next room.

Constance quickly glanced around the room checking there was no other sign of either d’Artagnan or Aramis. When she found none she walked to the door and opened it.

‘Uncle.’

‘Constance,’ greeted the man with little ceremony. He pushed his way into the house and looked around.

‘Your nephew is away for a few days.’

‘Your affair with the Musketeer is to stop right now.’

Constance knew she had to pretend to be shocked, ‘how dare you accuse me of having an affair.’

‘Don't play the innocent with me. If I hear of this affair continuing I will tell your husband that despite him telling you to stop, you continued...I was set to have the man warned off just in case, but have changed my mind, we need soldiers. So I am warning you. Stop now.’

Constance continued to act shocked, ‘what were you going to do?’

‘I had the man taken and beaten...not badly...unfortunately the wrong Musketeer was taken. He has been released. He is probably back at the garrison by now.’

Bonacieux looked annoyed at the mistake. Constance had to hide a smirk. She also had to be careful not to sigh with relief after hearing that d’Artagnan was alright.

Bonacieux took a final look around the room before grunting a goodbye and letting himself out.

As the door closed Constance turned to find Aramis already crossing the room to her.

‘I'll head to the garrison. I'll get word back to you when he gets there. If he comes here let me know?’

‘I know you are as worried as me,’ replied Constance, ‘at least we know he was fit enough to walk away from the men who took him...I’m so sorry,’ she finished as tears again threatened to fall from her eyes.

Aramis pulled her in for a hug, ‘hey. This isn't your fault. You’re in an impossible situation...I should know.’

Constance managed a smile, ‘thank you.’

‘Don't worry about it.’

Aramis kissed her cheek before walking to the door. He glanced outside before looking back at her and saying, ‘he's lucky to have us both.’

Constance chuckled as her friend left.

MMMM

Despite his wish to get away d’Artagnan crept back towards the house. He reached a window and peered in. He could see the men who had taken him lounging around the room within. They were drinking wine, most looked annoyed. 

‘It’s your fault we ain’t been paid,’ said one of the men.

The bald man glared at him, ‘we all had the same description of the man, none of you suggested he might not be the right one.’

‘And we didn’t get a chance to give ‘im a proper beating,’ grunted another man with a snarl, ‘I’ve always wanted to give a soldier a good kicking.’

‘I’m as annoyed as you all are. But the fact is we haven’t been paid and we have to get out of the city before the one we let go comes back.’

‘Why can’t we just go after that one and kill ‘im?’

D’Artagnan ducked down, not wanting to be caught spying on the men after the threatening remark had been made.

‘He ain’t done nothing wrong...although we could go and find this d’Artagnan and give ‘im the kicking he deserves.’

A few of the men muttered their ascent to the idea.

‘Did you see where ‘e went?’

The man who had been watching Constance replied, ‘yeah, I got away from them both, but doubled back so that I knew. They went back to the Bonacieux house. He might still be there.’

D’Artagnan’s mind whirled. The men were talking about Aramis, who they thought was him. The men meant to do serious harm to his lover. D’Artagnan knew he had no choice, he had to go to Constance’s home. If Aramis was still there, they might both be in danger. Keeping as quiet as he could d’Artagnan slipped away before breaking into a run as soon as he could.

MMMM

Constance had contented herself to a nervous wait for word regarding d’Artagnan. She knew he had walked away from his captors, so he could not have been too badly injured. But she still wanted to know he was safe. She settled herself in a chair and tried to do some work, a little sewing to take her mind off her worries.

The sound of someone running fast up to her door was unexpected, she put the sewing down and unconsciously picked up a knife in the vain hope of protecting herself. The man approaching her door must be one of the gang that had been hired by her husbands Uncle.

When d’Artagnan pushed the door open she could not help a gasp of shock. Her lover looked flustered. He had bruising across his face and was gasping for breath. She quickly crossed the room to him and pulled him into her arms. Constance was surprised when he held her back, not returning her embrace.

‘Where’s Aramis?’

‘Gone, he wanted to get back to the garrison to meet you. Why have you come here? You might have been seen.’

‘The men...they’re going to attack him...they might try to kill him.’

Constance could not hide her confusion, ‘why? The men aren’t after you anymore, my husbands Uncle came here and spoke to me…’

‘The hired men don’t care...they weren’t supposed to give me more than a warning…’ d’Artagnan took Constance’s hand which she had reached up to gently stroke over his bruised face, ‘they barely touched me...I’m a bit bruised that’s all...but the men...they were annoyed, they want to beat up a soldier, a Musketeer. They think they got the wrong man, they’ve gone after Aramis, thinking he is me.’

It took Constance a few seconds to take in what d’Artagnan had said, her lover looked at her intently.

‘He only left a few minutes ago. He probably hasn’t made it back to the garrison yet…’ 

D’Artagnan darted from the room at a run. Constance followed.

MMMM

Aramis walked with purpose, he wanted to get back to the garrison. He did not know how badly hurt his lover was. He hoped it would not be too bad, he suspected it would not be too bad, but he wanted to be there for him either way. And he needed to get word back to Constance quickly. The poor woman, despite trying to hide it, was clearly worried about d’Artagnan.

It had made a change for it to be Constance and d’Artagnan’s relationship to be causing problems. They usually had issues with him and d’Artagnan. Aramis knew that Athos was still a little wary of them. The two of them were very careful not to let their personal life interfere with their work life. The odd stolen kiss was all they allowed, and never anywhere they could be seen. 

Athos had worried that the two of them being together would change the dynamics of the group, but that did not appear to have happened. Porthos had told them several times that nothing had changed, if anything, Porthos had said the group were closer than ever. 

As Aramis walked he found two men walking in front of him, he started to move past them but the closer one turned and, with no warning, grabbed his arm and propelled him sideways into the wall of the closest building. 

He was pushed with force, the air knocked out of him. He tried to push the man back but found himself pinned to the wall by the other man who used his arm across the back of his neck to keep him in place. Aramis could not help panicking a little. This was not the first time he had been pinned to a wall by a man stronger than him, it usually did not end well.

A third man had grabbed his arms and twisted them up behind his back. One of the men hit him to the side of the head, leaving him stunned. He was aware of being pulled along a short distance before being pushed into a side alley. The alley was dark and quiet, the men meant to do him harm and they did not want an audience. 

As his vision cleared Aramis tried to pull free of the man holding his arms but could not. He opened his mouth to shout, he was not above calling out for help if he needed it, but was punched again. The punch was hard, across his jaw, his head snapped around by the force. 

Further punches rained down on him, he wondered if there were more than three men now. They were hitting him across his chest., stomach and back. Aramis could not draw in a breath, he was not given the chance. 

His arms were released but it made no difference to him, he crumpled to the ground. One of the men twisted his arm as he fell. As his shoulder joint came out he tried to cry out in pain, but the only sound he could manage was a whimper. Aramis screwed his eyes shut. 

What had he done? Was this just a random attack? Were they going to kill him?


	4. It's What We Do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve put the last two chapters up together as they are both shorter. 
> 
> And I am working tomorrow; and some of you may have family round; and be wrestling with turkeys and sprouts. 
> 
> There is medical stuff in this chapter, I am not a medic, I apologies for inaccuracies.

D’Artagnan was frantic, he hurried along the most direct route between Constance’s house and the garrison. He knew Aramis would have gone directly to the garrison, his lover would have been worried about him.

He heard light footsteps behind him, he turned to find Constance, out of breath. 

‘Any sign?’ she asked looking around.

‘No. This is my fault…’

‘If it’s anyone's fault, it’s my husbands,’ said Constance ruefully. 

They continued walking, looking around carefully as they did so. There were quite a few people on the road, d’Artagnan scanned the people looking for his lover. He hoped to find Aramis still walking back to the garrison. They could stay together until they reached the garrison. Aramis would be safe there. The men who wanted to hurt him would not remain in Paris for long, they would be recognised by d’Artagnan. Aramis would have to be careful for a few days but between them d’Artagnan was sure they could keep him from harm. 

‘D’Artagnan,’ said Constance as she grabbed his sleeve and stopped his quick walk.

He looked in the direction she was pointing, towards a dark alley. At the entrance of the alley lay Aramis familiar hat, the feathers bent.

They walked towards the alley peering in. As their eyes adjusted to the dim light they both let out a gasp.

‘Stay with him, I’ll get help,’ said Constance pushing him forwards. 

D’Artagnan closed the gap between himself and the prone form of his lover. Aramis lay on his side pushed against the wall of a building. D’Artagnan wondered if his lover was dead. He was very still, the position of his arm unnatural.

A small groan had d’Artagnan move quicker, he knelt by Aramis. He did not know where to start. Very gently d’Artagnan laid his hand on Aramis’ arm. The man let out another moan of pain. D’Artagnan realised his lover’s shoulder was dislocated. 

D’Artagnan took a breath. He knew he had to try not to think of Aramis as his lover for a few minutes, the man needed his help first. Worry and apologies could come later. He had to assess the man’s injuries. 

As gently as he could d’Artagnan moved Aramis to lie on his back. He could not help a small gasp as he saw his friends face. Aramis was barely recognisable. One eye was swollen shut, he had been kicked several times around his head, a boot print marking his temple. His nose was bloody and a gash across his forehead was still bleeding. The man was lucky to be alive. 

D’Artagnan unbuckled Aramis’ doublet and pushed the leather aside, he could not see any blood, on the shirt. He untucked the shirt and pulled it up to reveal Aramis torso. He was covered in bruises, d’Artagnan softly ran his fingers over Aramis chest eliciting groans of pain. Aramis had several broken ribs. His friend was breathing shallowly, every breath seemed to be an effort.

Blinking back tears d’Artagnan covered his lover’s chest up. This was his fault. Aramis might not recover. If one of the broken ribs pushed its way into his lung his lover would not stand a chance. 

‘Aramis? Can you hear me?’ said d’Artagnan leaning close to his friends head.

Aramis opened his unswollen eye slightly, and looked at him, he moaned. 

‘Don’t try to talk...you’re safe now. Constance has gone to get help. We’ll sort you out.’ 

Aramis closed his eye. 

‘Aramis? Aramis?’ when d’Artagnan did not get any response he sat back on his heels, he rested his hand on the back of Aramis’ head, ‘I’m sorry this happened to you…’

MMMM

Athos swung the sword again, stopping himself just in time to prevent slicing Porthos’ arm. Porthos was staring towards the garrison gates. Athos followed his gaze.

Constance had stopped a few paces into the training yard, she was breathing hard, her face flushed, her expression one of shock and worry. Porthos walked towards her, Athos followed.

‘You must come, it’s Aramis…’

‘What has happened?’ asked Athos grabbing her arm as she turned. 

‘It’s my fault, he was trying to help d’Artagnan...it’s...he’s been beaten, badly...I don’t know what his injuries are, but it’s bad. Please, we must hurry.’

She turned and hurried away, both Athos and Porthos followed her without another word. Constance’s hurried explanation was no explanation at all. But whatever had happened to their brother must have been serious to have put Constance into such a fit of worry. 

Constance was struggling to push through the crowd of people on the streets. Porthos pulled her closer to him and after a brief word, Athos guessed to Aramis’ location Porthos took the lead. The people moved for Musketeers. They progressed quicker than before and found their way to a dark alleyway. 

Athos was shocked to find d’Artagnan knelt beside a very still Aramis. Both men were bruised. Athos could not begin to work out what had happened. Aramis’ need for medical attention was paramount.

‘I’ll get a cart,’ said Porthos after quickly assessing the situation. 

Athos nodded and moved forwards towards d’Artagnan who looked up.

‘He’s passed out...his shoulder is dislocated, I didn’t want to put it back in here, but it needs to be done soon...but he has broken ribs. The pain of putting the shoulder back in might kill him. Athos we might kill him trying to fix him…’

Athos pressed his hand into d’Artagnan’s shoulder.

‘Let’s get him back to the garrison. We will assess his injuries there.’

Athos was appalled at the sight of his friends, he had questions, but they could not be answered now. 

A rumble behind him signalled Porthos returning with a cart. The big musketeer had liberated a handcart. He pushed it along the alleyway until he was next to his fallen brother. 

‘As gently as we can,’ said Porthos, ‘Constance, hold ‘is head, whilst we lift him up.’

Porthos and Athos reached under Aramis’ body while d’Artagnan hooked his arms under his legs. Slowly they lifted their unconscious friend onto the cart. Porthos wasted no time in pulling the cart back along the alley and turning it towards the garrison. 

‘Go ahead and get the infirmary ready,’ said Porthos to Athos, before turning to Constance who looked a little lost, ‘you go with him.’

She nodded and fell into step with Athos who was walking briskly back to the garrison.

‘Athos,’ she said as they walked, ‘please don’t blame them for what’s happened.’

‘Why would I blame them?’ asked Athos wondering what Constance meant.

‘I know that you have reservations about them...being together, but this was nothing to do with that. It’s my husband, he wrote to his Uncle, weeks ago, about d’Artagnan and I. His Uncle paid some men to beat d’Artagnan. We, Aramis and I, made the men think that he, Aramis, was d’Artagnan…’

Athos tried to think ahead, to where Constance was going with her hurried explanation of what had happened. 

‘...the men released d’Artagnan thinking they had the wrong man, but they were annoyed that my husbands Uncle had only allowed them to rough him up a bit. They wanted to really hurt a Musketeer. They went after Aramis, thinking he was d’Artagnan.’

Athos found the whole thing quite bizarre and convoluted, but the end result was obviously not what Aramis or Constance envisioned when they began their charade.

‘I know it was a ridiculous plan, but we had to think quickly, and it worked, I was so grateful to him...and then this happened. Athos, what if he dies. D’Artagnan would be devastated, he’ll blame himself.’

Athos took her arm as they walked, ‘we would all be devastated. But none of us would blame d’Artagnan...or you. We know how careful you both are.’

Athos was angry with the situation that his friends found themselves in. Constance was in a loveless marriage and Aramis was not free to be who he was openly. And poor d’Artagnan was caught between the two. Unable to be who he was either, and unable to marry the woman he loved. 

MMMM

After easing Aramis onto a bed in the infirmary Porthos went about stripping his friend. Aramis had not regained consciousness, which, thought Porthos, was probably a good thing given his injuries.

He pushed d’Artagnan out of the way, his friend was in no state to help. Constance guided him off to sit on the next bed. She slowly encouraged him to take off his doublet so that she could see to his own injuries, which were nothing compared to Aramis’.

Once stripped Porthos had to take a moment to work out where to start. Aramis’ face was bruised and swollen, his chest, back and legs were covered in bruising where he had been punched and kicked. His left knee was particularly bad, the man would be unable to walk for several days. Aramis had several broken ribs, which would heal well decided Porthos after he gently felt his friends chest. 

But their main concern was getting the marksman’s arm back into its shoulder joint. Their worry was the pain the action would cause.

‘Let’s get it done, whilst he’s still out. Athos will you hold ‘im?’

Athos nodded and stepped forwards to lift his friend into a suitable position for Porthos to work. Porthos pulled at Aramis’ arm and turned the joint until he felt it pop back into place. Aramis did not stir throughout the maneuver, although his shallow breaths seemed to hitch a few times, as his body reacted to the pain.

‘You’d better go,’ said d’Artagnan quietly to Constance who had finished cleaning the grazes that he had on his shoulder from his beating. 

Constance nodded and rose, she paused by Aramis looking down at him.

‘We’ll look after him, come back tomorrow,’ said Porthos with a smile.

Constance nodded.

‘I’ll walk you out,’ said Athos taking the young woman’s arm.

After they had gone d’Artagnan moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Porthos looked across at him.

‘I’m sorry this happened,’ said d’Artagnan, ‘it’s my fault.’

‘No it ain’t,’ said Porthos quickly, his own voice cracking with emotion. He hated seeing his friends hurt. 

D’Artagnan reached across and rested his hand on Porthos arm, squeezing it. 

‘But it is. If I wasn’t seeing Constance, this wouldn’t have happened.’

‘Don’t talk nonsense, d’Artagnan,’ replied Porthos as he began to clean Aramis’ face, wiping away the dried blood, ‘if Constance had come to me or Athos we would probably have done the same thing. You were in danger, any of us would have done whatever it took to get you safe.’

D’Artagnan took Aramis’ hand in his own as Porthos continued to work. 

‘Why is it so unfair?’

‘Because it is. We’re all stuck with unfair things,’ said Porthos glancing across to d’Artagnan who was not bothering to hide his tears. 

‘What if he dies?’

‘He won’t, he’s too stubborn. He’s my best mate, I won’t allow it,’ said Porthos quietly.

‘Sorry.’

‘What for? This really ain’t your fault.’

‘Perhaps it isn’t but you are still having to pick up the pieces.’

‘It’s what we do. If we can’t prevent it happening, we sort it out afterwards.’


	5. Slow Recovery

Every inch of his body hurt. Breathing hurt, but he had to keep doing that. He had no choice in the matter. A vague command from Porthos came to the front of his mind, something about him being stubborn and that Porthos would not allow him to die. Aramis was not one to disobey that kind of order. 

He opened his eyes, or eye, he realised as his left eye refused to open. The room was dimly lit. He was grateful for that. His head pounded. His shoulder felt like it was on fire and his knee was not much calmer. He tried to take a deeper breath and, although he managed it, the cost was more pain.

A sniff drew his attention, very slowly he turned his head to the right. Constance was sat looking at him, her eyes red and puffy where she must have been crying. 

‘Why are you crying?’ he managed to whisper, his throat dry.

‘Aramis!’ she said, with barely disguised joy, ‘you’re awake. How are you? No, that’s a stupid question, you’re in pain, a lot of pain. Stay still, stay quiet.’

‘D’Artagnan?’

‘Is fine, he’s bruised and terribly worried about you but he’s fine. He and Porthos have gone for some air. Athos had to order them to go.’

Aramis moved his head back to stare at the ceiling. After a few moments he felt Constance’s soft hand cupping the back of his head lifting it slightly as she held a cup to his lips. He managed a few sips of water.

‘Thank you,’ he said, ‘what are my injuries?’

‘Um,’ Constance paused for a moment, ‘you had a dislocated shoulder, but Porthos put that back in, your face is badly bruised and you have a cut to your forehead, which needed a couple of stitches...don’t worry I did them, they’re very neat...my best work. You have broken ribs and a badly bruised knee as well as generally bad bruising across most of your body. You’re not going anywhere for a bit.’

‘That bad?’

‘Yes, that bad...I’m so sorry you were attacked. We tried to find you, but it was too late. D’Artagnan is so upset that this happened to you because of him...and me.’

Aramis managed to move his uninjured arm and cup her cheek with his hand, she smiled sadly and cradled the hand in her own pulling it away from her face and kissing it gently.

‘Don’t be silly, neither of us could have foreseen this...;’

‘You don’t understand Aramis, it wasn’t a random attack, it was the same men who took d’Artagnan. When they realised they weren’t going to get paid because they thought they had taken the wrong man, they sought recompense by going after you.’

Aramis thought about what Constance had said, although thinking hurt him as well, he could feel the pull of sleep winning out, but wanted to console his friend first.

‘Please, Constance, you and d’Artagnan are not to blame for this. It could have happened to any of us. Please don’t blame yourselves. It will upset me if you blame yourselves...and I’m not really in any fit state to be upset at the moment,’ finished Aramis with as much of a smile as he could manage.

Constance bowed her head a little as she stroked his hand with her thumb.

‘And you should know that I really appreciate how understanding you are of d’Artagnan...and that you are happy to share him with me.’

‘I could not ask for a better man to look out for him. You keep him safe.’

MMMM

Athos remained by the door, he did not want to interrupt Constance and Aramis as they talked. This was the second conversation between his friends that he had found himself eavesdropping on. When Porthos and d’Artagnan had spoken he had been heartened that Porthos had talked d’Artagnan around from blaming himself to accepting that any of them would have helped him and Constance. And now Aramis was assuring Constance of the same thing. And Constance was giving her blessing to the relationship that his two friends shared. 

Athos thought back to the conversations he had had with Aramis when it had first become clear that he and d’Artagnan were more than just lovers. Initially Athos had thought the two were merely sleeping together, but as the months passed their relationship had changed. They loved each other with a fondness only matched by d’Artagnan’s relationship with Constance. 

But, thought Athos, after hearing his friends talking he knew that really, the love was equal between the four of them. Each man would die for the others. They had all put themselves in harms way in order to help another of their group. It really made no difference that two of them also had an intimate relationship away from their soldiering. There had been only one incident where the relationship had been exploited by Aramis, who had deeply regretted his actions afterwards, and had striven to make up for it ever since. Athos no longer considered the incident an issue, it was in the past and they had moved on. 

Athos had to admit that there had been no issues for the group. Perhaps he had judged his friends too harshly, not trusted them enough. 

Their family was strong and would continue to be so.

MMMM

Athos watched as Aramis slowly opened his eyes. His friend had been awake a few times now, sometimes he had been more lucid than others. The injury to his head had taken its toll. D’Artagnan had been on the receiving end of a particularly nasty outburst from the injured man. When he had related what Aramis had said to him to Porthos, the big musketeer had laughed out loud and taken the younger man off to a tavern to give him the full story behind the unkind words Aramis had misdirected at him. 

Athos wondered if Aramis was aware of his surroundings this time. The swelling on his face had gone down significantly, he was able to open both eyes now. It had already been several days since he had been attacked. 

They had searched the house that d’Artagnan had been held in, there was no sign of the gang. But they knew there would be little they could do without implicating Constance’s husband and consequently Constance and d’Artagnan. Porthos, d’Artagnan, Constance and himself had taken it in turns to sit with Aramis. They had managed to get him to drink water and broth when he was lucid.

Aramis was looking at him, his eyes focused. Athos managed a smile.

‘How is your head?’

‘Thumping.’

‘But better than before?’

‘I don’t know,’ replied Aramis looking away. 

Athos could tell something was bothering his friend and had a fair idea what it was. Aramis was thinking that Athos would be blaming him for the attack. Athos had been so keen to make Aramis understand that if anything affected their group due to the relationship that Aramis and d’Artagnan had there would be consequences. Now his friend was worried that what had happened would be the catalyst for Athos to make changes to their group. 

‘I want to apologise to you.’

Aramis looked at him again, ‘why?’

‘You think I’m angry with you for this happening. They have explained it. It is a very confusing situation, but this was not your fault. It really could have been anyone of us. D’Artagnan was in trouble and you did what you needed to do. You did not have time to come to us for help.’

Aramis did not respond, but he remained focused on Athos.

‘I am apologising because I doubted you. You and d’Artagnan. Your relationship has not caused an issue for us. If anything, my doubt and worry about the pair of you has caused more of an issue. It has meant that you have seen me, just now, and started to worry that you had done something wrong. And you have not.’

‘Have you told d’Artagnan this?’ asked Aramis.

‘Yes, we spoke earlier...you may need to apologise to him yourself though, when you see him next time,’ said Athos with a slight grin.

Aramis looked confused again.

‘Do you remember that particularly obnoxious man we had to help escape from Reims?’

Aramis nodded slightly.

‘You were a bit confused when you woke up last time, d’Artagnan was sat with you. You seemed to think he was that man, you swore at him, quite a lot. The poor man had no idea what you were going on about…’

Aramis looked a little shocked.

‘Porthos has taken him off to explain what happened.’

‘Sorry,’ said Aramis.

‘Apologies to him, later,’ said Athos.

Athos watched as Aramis tried to fight to stay awake, losing the battle within minutes.

Athos sat back in his chair regarding his injured friend. He felt guilty for doubting that Aramis and d’Artagnan would be able to keep their private and work lives separate. He knew now, that he had been wrong. He also felt guilty that Aramis had almost died before he had accepted that he could trust his friends. 

But now, with Aramis on the road to recovery, Athos vowed not to let his previous worry affect them any further.

He would allow their little gang to get back to normal, without his constant need to watch his friends carefully for any signs that their relationship was affecting them. 

But, thought Athos, were their lives ever ‘normal’?

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it. 
> 
> I am already writing another part, inspiration struck, and I could not resist it.


End file.
